As RJ said, wheels are only as good at the numbers you enter and the problem with most abbreviated wheels is the cost of play exceeds win guarantee. A pick-5 13 number 3if3 wheel costs $34 and most pick-5 games only pay $10 for matching 3 numbers. There will be some 2 number matches too, but that only slightly offsets the cost of the wheel. Granted the idea is to match 4 or 5 and get a 4 number match or match all 5 and win the jackpot but those 34 combos only represent 2.6% of all the combos (1287) using 13 numbers.
You won't get a match 3 guarantee by matching 3 numbers using a 3if4 abbreviated wheel but the 2 number matches will be about the same. When you consider the return by matching 3 numbers versus the of cost of play, the 3if4 wheel would be better. Matching 3 numbers cuts the cost from $34 to $24 versus the $16 cost of the 3if4 wheel.
The real key to wheels is the order in which the numbers are entered and it's simple to examine any wheel and determine which numbers are paired together the most. Filters can be used with abbreviated wheels to avoid playing all even or odd numbers (all high and low numbers too) by checking the order the numbers are entered. If you have a system that consistently picks 2 or 3 numbers with an occasional 4 out of say 13 numbers than you'll have to find the best 13 number wheel.
For pick-5 games there is a 2if5 abbreviated wheel with 25 combinations using all 39 numbers. The only thing that prevents any player from matching 4 or 5 numbers is the order in which they enter the numbers. $25 a play is steep for a game drawn 6 or 7 nights a week, but if a system could be developed simply for choosing the order, huge profits could be made.
The same is true using all 56 Mega Millions numbers in a 46 combo 2if5 abbreviated wheel.